[ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE – ]**

*City Hospital – Private Suite | One Week Later*

It’s been a week. A whole week since that night. A blur of pain, medicine, and overwhelming love.

A week of sleeping on the chair beside his bed, waking up stiff but content. Of feeding him, changing bandages, and talking in whispers that carried the full, aching weight of three years of separation.

Laksh had been my lifeline—bringing me new clothes, food, my essentials. Rudra told him everything I needed; I didn’t even have to ask.

Rudra’s family still didn’t know about the attack, and he was adamant about keeping the silence. My family? They believed I was away for a high-profile shoot. I lied to them every morning, just like now.

I stood by the window, the morning sun feeling oddly harsh after the dim hospital lighting, my phone against my ear.

**Ishita:** **“Haan, mummy… sab theek hai. Thoda hectic schedule hai toh phone kam ho raha hai… Haath mein thoda strain hai, isliye zyada texts bhi nahi kar rahi…”** (Yes, Mom... everything is fine. The schedule is a little hectic, so I’m not calling much. My hand is strained, so I’m not even texting much...)

I said it while staring at the hospital garden outside. My voice calm. My heart… torn between guilt and the overwhelming relief of being with him.

I just wanted to protect him. Protect *us*. One step at a time.

---

Suddenly, I heard a different voice.

**Nurse:** **“Sir, excuse me… she’s your wife, right?”**

I turned sharply. The young nurse—not the scary one, a new one—was smiling gently, holding Rudra’s discharge summary in her hands.

I looked at him—he was half-sitting, dressed in his simple grey sweatshirt, beard trimmed slightly but eyes still sleepy from the meds.

He didn’t even hesitate. His gaze didn't waver from mine, a silent warning for me not to interfere.

**Rudra:** **“Yes. She is.”**

I swear, I forgot how to breathe. The two words hit me harder than any of the past week's shocks.

My eyes widened. My mouth opened in protest—***“Ru—”***

But he smiled at me with those **ocean-blue eyes** that once melted my anger and now shattered my defenses, stopping my protest instantly.

**Rudra:** **“Is there any problem?”** he asked the nurse calmly, as if he hadn’t just shaken my entire universe with two words.

**Nurse:** **“No, sir. Not at all. I was just updating the file. She’s been taking such amazing care of you… honestly, we all thought so. A perfect match.”**

The nurse left with a polite nod, closing the door softly.

And there was a few seconds of utter silence between us.

**Ishita:** (I finally found my voice, a shocked whisper.) **“Rudra… what was that?!”**

[RUDRA’S PERSPECTIVE –]**

I watched her by the window—my warrior. My woman.

The nurse asked me the question. **“Is she your wife?”**

I didn’t think. I didn’t need to. **I simply stated the truth.**

**Rudra:** **“Yes. She is.”**

Because in every way that mattered, she was. No contract. No *sindoor*. No *mangalsutra*. And still… mine.

I saw her turn, her expression frozen between shock and disbelief.

**Rudra:** **“It’s not a lie, **Jaan**. You’re already more than that. You’ve fought for me, stayed for me, suffered for me… that makes you mine. Whether the world knows it or not, Ishita Sharma is my wife.”**

She was still quiet. Her lips parted, her eyes wet. I knew she was thinking of the life she thought she had lost, the future she had denied herself.

**Rudra:** (I challenged her gently.) **“ You could have refused to stay, but did you? You stayed right here, didn't you?”

I reached for her hand again.

**Rudra:**  So tell me... are you my wife or not?”

She swallowed. Tears threatened, but she didn’t pull her hand back.

**Ishita:** **“Besides you... I never even thought of anyone else’s name...

I brought her hand to my lips. Kissed it gently, possessively.

**Rudra:** **“Then let the world think what they want. As long as you’re with me… I’ll never correct them. You’re mine, and that’s the final truth.”**

[ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE – ]**

He always did this. Say the most outrageous thing with the calmest tone and the deepest truth.

I couldn’t speak. My heart was too full, too overwhelmed by the depth of his devotion. My throat too tight.

So instead, I walked to him. I didn't say a word about the lie, the nurse, or the sudden title.

I sat beside him, gently resting my head on his chest—**his heartbeat now my comfort**, steady and strong.

**Ishita:** **“I’m yours, Ru. Always was. Always will be. And if you say I’m your wife, then I’m your wife.”**

[RUDRA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

That was all I needed. Not rings. Not vows.

Just her—head resting against me, hand holding mine.

In that moment, I didn’t care what the nurse wrote on the file.

**Because my heart had already written our name together.** Now, the whole world just needed to catch up.

[ ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

*Rudra’s Penthouse | One Month Later*

It’s been a month. A blissful, chaotic, terrifying month where my life has become a carefully scheduled tapestry of makeup clients, panicked family calls, and mandatory evening nursing duty at the Rathore penthouse.

Every evening, without fail, I walk into *his* world like I belong there—because somewhere deep down… I do. Rudra Singh Rathore. The man whose name makes CEOs tremble. But when it comes to me? He behaves like a schoolboy caught cheating on a test.

Right now, I was standing in his massive living room—hands on hips, eyes narrowed—as he sat on the plush sofa like a very guilty man-child with a healing scar above his brow and that damn beard making him look extra sin-worthy.

**Ishita:** **“What did I say yesterday?”** I asked sharply, my voice echoing slightly in the vast space.

**Rudra:** (He sighed, looking defeated.) **“No work, **Jaana**.”**

**Ishita:** **“And what were you doing just now when I walked in?”**

He scratched his temple like a five-year-old caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

**Rudra:** **“…Reading emails.”**

I marched forward, snatched the offending tablet from his hands, and tossed it onto the nearby cushion like it was toxic waste.

**Ishita:** **“Emails are work, Rudra. They cause stress. They involve decisions.”**

**Rudra:** **“Technically not if I don’t reply—I was just observing the market trends in my free time, Ishiti.”**

**Ishita:** **“Don’t. Try. Me. Your free time should involve healing, watching trashy rom-coms I select, or talking to me. Nothing else.”**

He raised both hands like he was surrendering to the cops, his lips twitching.

[RUDRA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

Every time she storms in, I swear it feels like my personal sunset has arrived to light up my cold penthouse.

Yes, she scolds me. Yes, she bosses me around. Yes, she takes over everything—from what I eat to whether I take my meds on time. And I let her. Gladly. Because it means she’s here. Because it means I still get to love her in the quiet ways she doesn’t always notice.

Right now, she was pacing the living room like she owned it, and honestly, she did.

**Ishita:** **“No business. No stress. No meetings. Those were the rules the doctor gave *me*! What part of that did your genius billionaire brain not understand?”**

I cleared my throat, voice low, trying to distract her.

**Rudra:** **“Your voice echoes when you’re angry. It’s oddly… cute. Like a fierce little kitten.”**

**Ishita:** ***“Rudra!*”** She stopped pacing and put her hands on her hips, her eyes shooting daggers.

**Rudra:** **“Okay, okay! I promise. I won’t even *think* about mergers and acquisitions tonight. I swear on your favorite Radha Krishna

She folded her arms, not buying it for a second.

**Ishita:** **“You better not. Because if I catch Laksh helping you behind my back, I’ll roast both of you alive and scatter the ashes over the Arabian Sea.”**

At that moment, Laksh appeared from the hallway—only to freeze mid-step when he caught her death glare.

**Laksh:** **“I—I was just bringing his green tea, ma’am. Nothing else. I swear I didn’t know he had the tablet.”**

She squinted at him, her expression hardening. He backed away slowly.

**Ishita:** **“Good. And don’t you dare smuggle him a laptop or any document that begins with the letter ‘P’ for profit, Laksh.”**

**Laksh:** **“Y-Yes ma’am. Never again.”** *(And poor—Laksh vanished faster than a thief in daylight.)*

[ ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

Once Laksh disappeared, I turned back to him, my expression softening from commander mode to worry.

**Ishita:** **“You really think this is a joke? Ru, you were almost killed! The doctor said no stress for two months!”**

**Rudra:** **“No,”** he said seriously, his voice softening completely. **“But your care… feels like love I don’t deserve. I push, because I’m afraid you’ll tire of me.”**

Something in his tone made my chest ache—the lingering self-doubt left by the years of separation.

I walked to him. Sat beside him. Rested my hand over his heart, feeling the steady beat beneath his sweatshirt.

**Ishita:** **“Don’t say that again. You deserve all the love in the universe.”**

**Rudra:** **“But it’s true. I left you. I broke your heart into tiny pieces.”**

**Ishita:** **“You almost died, Rudra. And still you think you're undeserving of love? That’s the *only* reason I’m yelling every day. Because I still want you alive. Still want to yell at you every damn evening for the rest of my life.”** I cupped his cheek gently.

He leaned into my palm, closing his eyes for a moment of quiet surrender.

**Rudra:** **“Then yell all you want. Just don’t leave. Ever again.”**

[RUDRA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

That’s the thing about her anger—it's never empty. Every word she throws comes wrapped in concern, every glare is a love letter I don’t deserve but treasure anyway.

**Rudra:** **“Do you know you’re the only one who dares to scold me like this? Even Bebe only sighs.”** I whispered, my voice laced with amusement.

**Ishita:** **“You say that like it’s a warning. Should I stop?”** she smirked, her eyes twinkling now.

**Rudra:** **“No,”** I said, utterly serious. **“It’s a privilege. It’s my proof that you care enough to fight for my health.”**

Then I pulled her hand to my lips. Kissed her fingers softly, slowly.

**Rudra:** **“Every time you walk through that door, this place stops being a penthouse and becomes a home, **Jaan**.”**

Her breath hitched. I felt her heart race beneath my palm.

**Ishita:** **“Don’t say things like that, Rudra.”**

**Rudra:** **“Why not? It’s the truth.”**

**Ishita:** **“Because then I’ll fall even more… and I’m already so ridiculously deep in love with you, it’s not even funny.”** She stopped, her voice catching with emotion.

I leaned forward, rested my forehead against hers, closing the minimal distance between us.

**Rudra:** **“Then fall. Fall completely, Ishiti. I’ll catch you every time. I’m right here, and I’m not letting go.”**

**Rudra:** **“You are stuck with the ice prince forever.”**

**Ishita:** (She laughed softly, a beautiful sound.) **“Good. Because I look good on a throne.”**

[ ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

*Rudra’s Penthouse Balcony | Just After Sunset*

It was just after sunset. The sky looked like it had been painted in strokes of orange and bruised purple, fading into the quietness of city lights. I stood on the master bedroom balcony, arms resting on the railing, in a crop top and jeans brushing against the warm breeze. My long hair danced in the wind as I looked out, lost in the haze of it all.

He’d been inside the bathroom for a while—after his personal, forbidden gym session. I rolled my eyes, internally preparing my scolding.

**Ishita** (Inner Scolding): **“If I catch you lifting even a dumbbell again, Rudra, I swear—”**

Before I could even finish the silent scolding in my head, I felt it. Strong arms—those unmistakably massive, scarred, *Rudra* arms—wrapped around my waist from behind, firm and possessive. My breath hitched instantly as the warmth of his damp skin pressed against my back. He was shirtless. Of course he was.

Then came that familiar feeling—his face burying into the crook of my neck, breath hot and soft against my skin.

**Ishita:** (I whispered, barely holding back a smile and a scolding all at once.) **“Rudra… You’re dripping water on me.”**

[ RUDRA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

She was standing there again… where she always seemed to belong. Against the evening light, her silhouette looked like it was sketched by the gods themselves—her bare waist exposed, calling me without a word.

I slid my arms around her waist from behind. Felt her tense. Then melt. I pressed my lips to her neck and just… *breathed* her in.

**Ishita:** **“You’re not supposed to work out,”** she murmured.

**Rudra:** (I replied, my voice low and husky from the steam and heat.) **“You’re not supposed to look this good and expect me to stay away.”**

She tried to turn in my arms, but I tightened my grip, keeping her against me.

**Rudra:** (I whispered in her ear.) **“I missed this part of the day. Just you and me. No rules. No pills. No doctors. No one else. Just us. This silence, this warmth.”**

[ ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

His words hit something deep in my chest. My heart stuttered as I leaned back against him.

**Ishita:** (I asked softly.) **“You missed this? The balcony? Or me bossing you around every night?”**

He chuckled against my neck, the sound vibrating through my spine.

**Rudra:** **“Both. But mostly you. Always you.”**

He turned me gently in his arms until I was facing him—my hands resting flat against his still-warm chest.

I looked up into those ocean-blue eyes. That perfect mess of stubble.

**Ishita:** **“You’re not supposed to make me fall for you again every evening,”** I whispered.

He bent down, forehead pressing against mine.

**Rudra:** **“Then stop being so easy to love.”**

His forehead rested on mine. His breath, warm and uneven, mingled with mine as we stood chest to chest, heart to heart, and soul to soul.

We were talking, barely whispering now. His eyes flicked to my lips once—twice. And for the first time… he didn’t stop himself.

He lowered himself slowly, until his face was level with mine. No rush. Just reverence.

**Rudra:** (He whispered, his voice barely audible.) **“May I?”**

**And I nodded**, my throat too tight for words.

Then it happened.

His lips touched mine—soft, unsure, warm, *real*. **It was a feather-light touch, the barest contact, like a question.**

**I gasped softly against him**, and something in him snapped.

He cupped my jaw, angled his mouth just right—deeper, fuller. **The soft sound of a sigh of relief mixed with the beginning of a deeper connection filled the space.**

I couldn’t stop myself. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he immediately pulled me up—effortlessly—until I was flush against him, feet slightly off the ground, his strength holding me like I weighed nothing.

My hands tangled in his wet hair. **His kiss was now consuming, demanding, pouring years of unspoken passion into me.**

[RUDRA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

I had waited. Not hours. Not days. *Years.*

And I couldn’t hold back anymore.

I kissed her. The moment my lips met hers, my entire body exhaled like it had been holding a breath since the day I walked away.

She tasted like everything I had ever missed—sweet, warm, *home*.

When she wrapped those tiny arms around my neck, I lifted her up against me.

**Rudra:** (I pulled back slightly to speak against her mouth.) **“Four years,”** I murmured against her lips. **“Four years I waited for this, **Jaana**…”**

**Ishita:** **“You think I didn’t?”** she whispered back, eyes glistening. **“You think I didn’t dream of this kiss every night for four damn years?”**

I buried my face into her neck, breathing her in, grounding myself.

**Rudra:** **“You’re mine,”** I said, the declaration raw and final. **“Now, always, after this life too.”**

She nodded, holding me tighter, forehead resting against mine.

**Ishita:** **“Yours, Rudra. Since that very day… outside Shiv Mandir.”**

**The soft, warm sound of their lips met again, deep and soft, lost entirely in the reunion.**

**Rudra:** **“My queen.”**

We were kissing deep, consumed by the long-denied hunger of four years. **Her lips were so soft and small**, moving perfectly against mine. The taste of her was intoxicating, pure life force.

**I smiled in the kiss**, a silent, triumphant expression of finding home. I tightened my grip on her, my arms strong around her waist. **I traced her bare waist**, feeling the warmth of her skin, and **tilted my face** slightly to deepen the connection, pouring every single repressed emotion into that moment.

She melted completely against me, but then, her hands, which had been tangled in my wet hair, slid down. **She held my nape** and then patted **my chest a little**, a desperate, breathless signal.

I broke the kiss slowly, resting my forehead against hers, both of us gasping for air, the world spinning in the best possible way.

**Rudra:** (My voice was deep, ragged, a direct consequence of her kiss.) **“Ah, **Jaana**... you shouldn’t do that to a man with fractured ribs. I almost forgot how to breathe.”**

**Ishita:** (She laughed, a breathless, shaky sound.) **“You’re telling me? You kissed me like you were trying to inhale my soul, Rudra! I thought I was going to pass out!”**

**Rudra:** **“Good. Because your soul belongs with mine. I’ve always known that.”** I kissed the tip of her nose softly. **“Are your beautiful, small lips always this soft, Ishi? Or is it just because they haven’t been kissed properly for four years?”**

**Ishita:** (She blushed vividly, hitting my shoulder playfully.) **“Hey! That’s my line! And yes, they are naturally perfect. Now put me down, Mr. Rathore, before you injure your internal organs trying to hold your very well-fed, furious girlfriend.”**

I obeyed, lowering her gently until her feet touched the floor, but I didn't release her. My arms stayed firmly locked around her waist.

**Rudra:** **“Furious, you say? I seem to remember that furious girlfriend just giving me the most potent medicine a man could ask for. Should I expect the same prescription every evening?”**

**Ishita:** **“Only if you promise to be a good patient and stop reading corporate emails. My affection is directly proportional to your obedience, Your Highness.”** She ran her finger along the scar above my brow.

**Rudra:** **“I think I can manage that. Obedience to you is the easiest command I’ve ever followed. Now, one more. Just a soft one. To prove the first wasn't a hallucination.”**

I leaned in, not waiting for permission this time, and captured her lips in a kiss that was slow, tender, and promised everything we had waited for.

[ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

His lips didn’t just kiss mine… they *claimed* them.

Slowly at first—soft brushes, learning each other again. Then deeper… intense… a fire we both had buried beneath layers of pain, time, and unspoken words. My fingers tangled in his still-damp hair, and I sighed into him, a sound of absolute, weary relief.

He groaned lowly when I kissed him back with equal hunger. The kind of hunger that wasn’t physical alone—it was soul-deep.

His hands slipped over my waist—my bare waist, just above my jeans—and I shivered. His fingers were firm, slightly calloused from weights and years of fighting the world. He didn’t just hold me, he *gripped* me like he was scared I’d disappear again.

And then—just like that—he pulled me up again.

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *Why is he obsessed to pick me up always?* *Does he think I'll break if I stand on the floor?*

My feet left the ground. His body against mine. My chest pressed into his solid one. I gasped again softly and wrapped my legs instinctively around his waist, but not out of seduction—*trust*. Total, complete trust.

My nose brushed his as we kept kissing.

**Our lips moved like they remembered**—like they’d always been meant to fit. My body melted into his, every cell in my heart screaming—

**“You’re home now, Ishita. He’s your home.”**

**Ishita:** **“I missed you,”** I murmured between kisses. **“Rudra, I missed you every single day, every single night.”**

His grip tightened, almost painfully, but I welcomed it.

**Rudra:** **“Say it again,”** he whispered, almost broken, pulling back just an inch to look into my eyes. **“I just… need to hear it again, **Jaana**. I need to hear the truth.”**

I cupped his cheek, looked into those fierce, vulnerable **ocean-blue eyes**.

**Ishita:** **“I missed you. I *love* you. I never stopped loving that stupid, cold prince who saved me at the temple.”**

[RUDRA’S PERSPECTIVE]**

Her lips. Her scent. Her voice whispering my name like a song I forgot I knew. This wasn’t a kiss. This was resurrection.

**Rudra:** (Inner Monologue): *Thank you, God. Thank you for bringing her back.*

Her tiny hands were tangled in my hair, tugging, anchoring me to *her*. And my arms—God—I didn’t even realize how tightly I was holding her.

She felt *perfect* in my arms. *Right*. Like this moment had waited for us all these years. When she wrapped her legs around me instinctively, I held her even tighter, one arm under her thighs, the other across her spine.

**Rudra:** **“Don’t you dare tell me I’m stupid, Ishiti. I’m a genius. I figured out how to get the most beautiful, feistiest woman in the world to willingly wrap her legs around me despite my fractured ribs.”** I grinned against her neck.

**Ishita:** **“That’s not genius, that’s cheating! You use your muscles and your injuries unfairly!”**

**Rudra:** **“All’s fair in love and war, my queen. And right now, we are definitely doing the former.”**

**Rudra:** (I broke the kiss, pressing my lips to her forehead.) **“I don’t deserve you,”** I whispered, the remorse still heavy. **“But I swear, Ishita, I’ll never let you go again. You are mine to protect, mine to cherish.”**

She kissed me once more. A softer one this time. Slower. A promise.

**Ishita:** **“I know, Ru. Now take me inside. It’s getting cold, and I’ve decided you need a second dose of that cough syrup you hate.”**

**Rudra:** (I groaned dramatically, adjusting my hold on her.) **“Cough syrup? After that kiss? You’re ruining the moment, **Jaana**.”**

**Ishita:** **“No, I’m cementing the foundation. A healthy husband is a happy husband, and a happy husband does what his wife says. Now move, General.”**

I walked inside, carrying her effortlessly. She was bossy, she was fierce, she was completely mine.

**Rudra:** **“Fine. But I demand a reward for taking the syrup.”**

**Ishita:** **“And what kind of reward are you thinking of, Mr. Rathore?”** she whispered into my ear, a challenge in her voice.

**Rudra:** **“Just a lot more of that fierce, perfect love you promised me.”**

[ ISHITA’S PERSPECTIVE]

🤢

He put me down and walked a few steps to the edge of the large, plush bed, easing himself onto the mattress. I, meanwhile, marched straight to the bedside table to retrieve the dreaded bottle.

**I took out the syrup and turned to him**, bottle and spoon in hand, ready to administer the medicinal torture. **But he was making a disgusting face.** His ocean-blue eyes were wide with genuine terror, and his lower lip was jutting out dramatically.

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *Seriously, is he the same ruthless, emotionless, heartless man everyone talks about? Because in front of me, he is behaving like a child who hates vegetables.*

**So I smiled**—a warm, knowing smile that softened my sternness.

**Ishita:** **“Come on, baby. Stop making that face. It’s not poison, it’s just medicine. And guess what? Today is the last of this awful stuff.”**

His eyes immediately brightened at the news.

**Rudra:** **“Really? The absolute last dose? Swear on the name of your favorite fantasy prince?”**

**Ishita:** **“I swear on the whole kingdom of the ice prince. Now open wide, Mr. Rathore. No spitting.”**

I held the spoon firmly, and with a dramatic grimace, **he drank the syrup**. His eyes watered slightly.

**Rudra:** (He shuddered violently.) **“God, that tastes like pure regret and fermented socks. How do they bottle something so vile?”**

**Ishita:** **“It’s the taste of healing, my love. Now be quiet.”**

I stood up, putting the bottle back, **and was about to move** and change into something more comfortable when I was stopped.

He moved faster than I thought his fractured ribs would allow. **He pulled me onto his lap** before I could even take a full step back.

I landed against his solid chest with a surprised *oof!*

**Ishita:** **“Rudra! The syrup—you need to let that settle—”**

He didn't listen. His strong hand cupped my cheek, and **he kissed me again**, deep and possessive, his mouth covering mine instantly.

I gasped into the kiss. And then I realized—**I also tasted the syrup.**

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *Oh my god, he did that on purpose!*

**The taste of the medicinal, sugary horror was still faintly coating his tongue, which is really disgusting!**

I pulled back, spluttering with mock outrage and laughter.

**Ishita:** **“Ewww! Rudra! That’s disgusting! You contaminated my mouth! You’re supposed to drink water after that!”**

**Rudra:** (He grinned, completely unrepentant, his arms tightening around my waist.) **“I didn’t want the syrup to win, **Jaana**. I wanted to overwrite that taste with something much, much better. Did it work?”**

**Ishita:** **“No! Now everything tastes faintly like strawberry and disappointment! You are such a child! You wasted a perfectly good kiss!”**

**Rudra:** **“Nonsense! That was a palate cleanser! And you know what the only effective antidote to disappointment is? Another kiss. A thorough one. To guarantee all residual medicinal taste is gone.”**

He leaned in again, his eyes twinkling, and I laughed, tilting my head back slightly to accept the inevitable.

**Ishita:** **“You are absolutely impossible, you know that?”**

**Rudra:** **“Only for you, Ishi. Only for you.”**